Princess Michael of Kent celebrates 70th birthday with her cat

January 15, 2015

No one seems to define graceful aging better than Princess Michael of Kent. To celebrate her 70th birthday on Thursday, the royal honored her big day with a glamorous photo of her holding her beloved cat while donning a pearl and diamond tiara. Certainly not subtle! And that's exactly why we adore her.

So who exactly is this confident royal? HELLO! compiled some facts to get you better acquainted with the wife of Prince Michael:

1. She is no stranger to noble birth. The Princess was born Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz in 1945 in an area now known as Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. She is a descendant of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II of France, and Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France.

2. In 1978, the former baroness married Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth, in a civil ceremony in Vienna, Austria. (They then had a Roman Catholic ceremony in June 1983.) Thereafter, she was known as Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent.

3. The Princess counts many a royal as friends. She and her husband attended the wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco in 2011.

4. Although she possesses a royal title, the Princess does not carry out royal duties, but she and her husband often join the royal family at official events including the annual celebration of the Queen's birthday, Trooping the Colour.

5. The Princess has a love of writing and is even a best-selling author who has released five books, including the royal-inspired The Serpent and The Moon and The Queen of Four Kingdoms.

6. As demonstrated by her latest photo, the Princess has a deep love of animals. Currently in her care? Numerous horses, dogs and her Siamese and Burmese cats. She also devotes a significant amount of time to animal conservation organizations in Africa that help rhinos and elephants.